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• Science Week 2005

Burning Food

This experiment shows, quite spectacularly, that foods contain a lot of energy! Using the apparatus in the above photo, powdered food is blown through two roaring Bunsen burner flames.

Method

1. Collect different powdered foods, e.g. custard powder, flour, gravy. DON'T use herbs or spices they can cause a severe allergic reaction!
2. Set up two bunsen burners so that they are about 30cm above the ground and at right angles to it. They should be pointing towards each other and about 20 cm apart.
3. Just below the level of the bunsens support a glass funnel using a clamp stand.
4. Attach a good length (at least 3m) of rubber hose to the funnel.
5. Place a spatula of powdered food into the funnel.
6. Light the bunsens and turn the flames to roaring.
7. Place safety screens around the bunsen set up.
8. Slowly, blow into the rubber tubing DON'T SUCK!
9. Watch a sheet of flame reach to the ceiling. Different foods may give different coloured flames.

Click here to see a movie (custard.mpg) of what happens when custard powder is blown through the flames!

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